When Danny Civich wore a premiership medal around his neck and became one of the youngest ever winners of the AW Walker Medal as best and fairest for South Fremantle in 1970, the world was his oyster.Just turned eighteen, the Civich door was already under siege from half a dozen Victorian clubs. “I had a weekend away with the compliments of Footscray, plus cash offers from others, it was a bit overwhelming for a young bloke,” Danny recalled. His talent was undeniable, with a style of play suited to the VFL, and it seemed a matter of time before he would make the move East. “I decided to stay put for a year or two; I definitely had an ambition to play there,” he said.But a knee injury was to put paid to the young defender’s career before he turned twenty.  “I felt a twinge in the knee when I went for a grab in the last fifteen minutes of the 1970 grand final,” Danny explained. “It caused me some problems, I never had it treated properly, then, in 1972, I copped a heavy side-on bump from Lou Milanko in a game against Swans, which stuffed the knee right up.”The nickname “Freight Train” was an apt description of the presence he had on a football arena, while his tough “straight through” approach, which opened many a pack, was complemented with pace, plus kicking and marking skills. When Civich won the AW Walker Medal, team mate Frank Legena was awarded most improved player. “I was fortunate to have the freight train picking me out from half back,” Frank recalled.“Danny, who was eighteen at the time, could have been anything.” This was an opinion shared by coach and Melbourne legend, Hassa Mann.  Originally a soccer player, Civich had a late introduction to football.Being of Serbian descent and living at Wundowie, where there was a large contingent of ethnic families, he originally played the round ball game, but the efforts of former South Fremantle player and policeman Harry Riseborough in introducing a football programme in the area influenced many a youngster to change codes. Among them was Milan Trifunovic, who later went to Swan Districts, and whose career almost mirrored Danny’s. Riseborough took an interest in Civich, and transported him to athletics, basketball, and swimming, in each of which he was a better than average participant.  A local teacher, Ben Seabrook, was also an influence. Danny’s transition to Australian Rules progressed so well that he was playing under seventeens at the age of fourteen, and was selected for the State Schoolboys side. But when the Civich household received a visit from a league club it wasn’t from Swan Districts(the local club) and it wasn’t Danny they wanted to see. “Riseborough had been in touch with South secretary Allan Maffina, and they paid us a visit. But it wasn’t me they wanted, it was my elder brother, Branko.”South Fremantle were in need of a ruckman, and the big frame of Branko Civich was in their sights. “When Branko went I thought: “If he can play league footy so can I,” Danny said. “An apprentice boilermaker-welder, I was billeted out and paying fifteen dollars a week for board while earning eleven. The club subsidised me with seven dollars a week, which left me with three bucks to live on.When Branko and Danny started at South they changed their surnames from the former “Cvijic” to Civich. While Branko went into the league side and played thirteen games, the sixteen year old Danny began with the Bulldogs thirds, and won the most improved trophy. When former Melbourne star Hassa Mann came to town in 1969 he liked the look of the strongly built, pacy and fearless Civich, and put him straight into the league team. “I had a baptism of fire,” he recalled. “We played Perth, lost by forty eight points, and I lined up on Barry Cable. I got nowhere near him.” The following week was a Derby at East Fremantle Oval, watched by a crowd of eleven thousand. “I got reported for hitting Keith Shorthill but never touched the bugger.  I copped two weeks.” Civich went on to play eighteen games for the season and was awarded the best first year player trophy.Such was the seventeen year old’s form in 1970, he was selected in a “probables v possible” match prior to the Australian Carnival. The experience of David Dyson(West Perth), Peter Stephen(East Fremantle) and Peter Eakins(Subiaco) was the state selectors’ preference, and Eakins went on to be involved in a tie for the Tassie Medal.  South Fremantle’s four point win over favourites Perth in the second semi final triggered what Danny described as “a bizarre fortnight.” “We had two weeks of exposure in the media, which to most of us young blokes was a bit unnerving,” he said. “ Lou Richards came over from Melbourne and interviewed me. We couldn’t get out there quickly enough.”The hype of the premiership win had subsided by the following pre season, and South Fremantle went to Melbourne as guests of Collingwood to play a scratch match. “Hassa almost caused an incident when, while guests of Collingwood, he took me to meet some Melbourne officials to discuss my future,” Danny recalled. Civich never played league football again following the 1972 knee injury. At the age that most players were beginning their league career, Danny Civich’s was over. Although he attempted a comeback three years later, Civich lasted two reserves games before  announcing his retirement. It was a cruel blow to a player for whom many good judges had predicted an outstanding future.  In 1976 he joined premiership team mate Gary Greer at for a couple of seasons with Armadale, and returned to the football scene a decade later when boys Craig and Jason started playing juniors at Leeming-Bullcreek. Craig showed plenty of promise as an onballer, playing eighteen league games for South before history repeated itself and injury forced him out of the game, while Jason, according to his dad, had plenty of ability but lacked dedication. Danny and wife Gail, in her younger years an exceptional gymnast, these days enjoy the company of family, including four grandchildren, and are regular travelers.Claremont’s Russell Reynolds, West Perth’s Mel Whinnen, and Swans Billy Walker headed the list of opponents, “but they were all tough,” while of those he played with,he had plenty of time for the late Graeme Reilly.  Danny was an admirer of Hassa Mann’s coaching style. And he related an episode at a training camp.“We were about to finish for the day, when Hassa asked for volunteers for a non compulsory extra session. Mine was the only hand that went up, so the two of us put in some more time together. The following day as we were about to begin, the coach turned to me and said: “have a spell Danny,” and proceeded to put the rest of the boys through a searching drill.”“But that was a rare let off for me.”“They used to set me up with the tackling exercises, everyone onto Danny.”The loss to the game of the talented Danny Civich at such a young age was a football tragedy. Civich played sixty eight games for South Fremantle, and a future in Melbourne was beckoning. But the man himself is philosophical about the fickle hand of fate. “I have no regrets,” he said.. “I played with a great bunch of blokes who meet up regularly, that’s enough for me.”